MSI
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk
AM5 · B650
85
/ 100
From $229
VS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero wins by 8
ASUS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN
93
/ 100
From $699
Specdex verdict
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk lands at 85 and ROG Crosshair X870E Hero at 93. That puts ROG Crosshair X870E Hero ahead by 8 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk if…
- ✓PCIe 5.0 support
- ✓Current-gen networking
- ✓Modern I/O
Pick ROG Crosshair X870E Hero if…
- ✓Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
- ✓Excellent VRM
- ✓5G + 10G networking options
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk 85
vs 93 ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
Score breakdown
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk
85 vrm 85
features 83
bios 81
value 84
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
93 vrm 96
features 96
bios 92
value 80
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk | ROG Crosshair X870E Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM5 | AM5 |
| Chipset | B650 | X870E |
| VRM phases | — | 20+2 |
| RAM slots | — | 4× DDR5-8000+ |
| PCIe | — | 2× PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Networking | — | 5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7 |
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk
Pros
- +PCIe 5.0 support
- +Current-gen networking
- +Modern I/O
Cons
- −Firmware updates on launch
- −DDR5 required
- −Pricing varies week to week
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
Pros
- +Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
- +Excellent VRM
- +5G + 10G networking options
Cons
- −Expensive
- −Only 2 DIMMs for memory overclocking headroom
- −Fan control UX
FAQ: MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk vs ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
Which is better, MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero? +
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 8. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk worth the price? +
At $229, MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk delivers a Specdex score of 85 — strongest in vrm.
Is ROG Crosshair X870E Hero worth the price? +
At $699, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in vrm.
Does MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.